Ralph Leon Jackson arrested in Parkway shooting

Ralph Leon Jackson, 56, was arrested today at his residence for the shooting of Christina S. Floyd and Timothy P. Davis at Rock Point Overlook.AUGUSTA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

A Valley man is in custody and charged with attempted capital murder in the Monday night shooting along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Ralph Leon Jackson, 56, was arrested at his home Wednesday at 1880 Howardsville Turnpike in Augusta County, the sheriff said at a press conference conducted while the suspect was still being interviewed.

"There is no doubt we have in custody the man who was responsible for the shooting, so the public can breathe a sigh of relief," said Augusta Sheriff Randall Fisher.

Jackson is a married mechanic, according to the sheriff, who says Jackson, who has at least one adult child, who made "incriminating statements" establishing his sole responsibility.

"The Crime-Stoppers tip was very crucial," said the sheriff, who said a tip came in at 2am which caused a multi-jurisdictional team led by the Augusta SWAT team and including a National Park Service helicopter poised for air support to stake out Jackson's home near Stuart's Draft beginning around 4am.

The arrest, he said, occurred "without incident" at 3:15pm.

The sheriff complimented the yet-unnamed couple who rescued the female victim, Christina S. Floyd, who also won praise from the sheriff for battling her attacker despite getting hit with a shotgun blast that caused her sunset-watching companion, Timothy P. Davis, to tumble down a cliff with critical injuries.

Up to three shots were fired, said the sheriff, who believes that Floyd may have wrested the gun away from her attacker.

Sheriff Fisher says that Jackson appears to be a life-long Valley resident who had no known connection to the victims whom he began shooting from his vehicle, a burgundy Kia Sephia.

"We have no motives," Fisher said at the Wednesday night press conference. "There's no rhyme or reason."

Asked by a reporter if the case might be connected to the double-slaying of two Virginia Tech students at a wilderness campground last fall, the sheriff said he didn't yet know but that the Virginia State Police would investigate that.

Original story:

The Roanoke Times is reporting that police have arrested the man they believe committed Monday night's attack at the Rock Point Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. A Hook reporter is en route to the Valley for a 5pm press conference at the Augusta County Sheriff's office. Details to follow.

With a suspect in custody, the Hook is now able to identify the 18-year-old female victim as Fluvanna County High School senior Christina Floyd, whose name was previously withheld over law enforcement's concerns for her safety as the best– and perhaps only– witness to her attacker. Floyd is recovering from serious injuries sustained during the attack including a collapsed lung, two skull fractures, and broken fingers. At last update, she was in fair condition at UVA Medical Center.

The other victim of Monday's attack, WNRN operations manager Tim Davis, 27, was even more seriously injured after he was shot in the back and tumbled over the edge of the overlook, landing approximately 150 feet below. At last update, he had been unable to give a statement to law enforcement and remained in critical condition.

73 comments

Virginia is no worse than wisconsin, I live 20 miles from where a loatian immigrant named Vang murdered seven deer hunters in cold blood.

wake up April 11th, 2010 | 12:28pm

Booo: mind control is a reality. We have a big problem down here far beyond the horrors of crazed gunmen. The question remains as to the methods and triggers. For the skeptics here, I will just put it out that there is strong evidence that the Nazi experiments and MKULTRA never stopped, even after the Church hearings etc. they just went underground just as the Nazi leadership survived the war under Operation Paperclip in New Mexico, South America, and Anarctica. Now it looks like they can monitor and trigger people through some form of cellphone and satellite directed supersystem. One group that describes the case follows:

Homicide rate does vary a lot from state to state. Why? Iowa is the lowest with only 4 murders recently. I'm afraid to hike here without a group of people (even then not--one of my neighbors practices with a semi). Out West I'd hike alone--the bears, mountain lions, snakes, scorpions aren't nearly as dangerous--not remotely.

slavin April 8th, 2010 | 7:57am

Ladies if you are grabbed by a predator, get OUT of your clothes if you can. Better to be seen naked and alive than naked on a morgue slab. I saw an episode of Cops where it took some 7-10 cops piling on top of a crazed naked man before they could subdue him.

Amanda Huginkiss April 8th, 2010 | 10:37am

deleted by moderator

justbeinobjective April 7th, 2010 | 10:22pm

Love him. Don't always agree with him...but he has a right to voice his opinion here like everyone else. You don't like his opinion, then don't read it.

Gasbag Self Ordained Expert April 8th, 2010 | 7:01am

Karma, never underestimate what a group of people will do when you place them in a room and call them a jury. I have seen murderers with a rich family walk out with 2 years, while some young indigent black kid walks out with 40 years for selling cocaine.

Sick Society April 8th, 2010 | 11:54am

GSOE, I'm not really arguing against getting armed now, but I don't think it's the ultimate solution. We could just end up with a wild west shoot-em-up-society, no end in sight, just a way of life (death). There's something fundamentally wrong that needs to be addressed so we don't have to live in the 1800's.

confused easily April 8th, 2010 | 12:00pm

All this arguing is moot since the female victim wasn't old enough to own a handgun.

Gasbag Self Ordained Expert April 8th, 2010 | 12:07pm

Rob, thanks. But, no thanks.

The last time I expressed an interest in running for public office (sheriff), I was immediately subjected to a series of false arrests. This was just days after I told the incumbent sheriff of 3 years that I just might run against him in 1997. Was my interest in running for sheriff and the false arrests related? Well, we never could prove it. Didn't really need to. All we had to prove when I filed wrongful arrests lawsuits was the fact that I was who I said I was when the aresting rookie asked me if I was a deputy sheriff in Virginia.

The trials of all these bogus charges concluded just a day or two after the election was over.

You may or may not also recall that a small group of "good ole boys" basically attempted the same thing on Ashland Fortune when he expressed an interest in running for sheriff in Louisa County. The good ole boys played the game well, but Ashland still still won the election by 8 votes. After the votes were in, I sat down all evening long and laughed until I had tears rolling down my face.

log April 7th, 2010 | 9:37pm

Not love. Not hate. Was trying to get to like him, but: It becomes "Impossibler and impossibler." Sorry for the scary wordage, dimbulbs.

Gasbag Self Ordained Expert April 8th, 2010 | 5:40pm

Ahh, OK Ronda. Thanks! I was thinking it would take a lower than pond scum coward to shoot a man in a wheelchair.

Reality Check April 8th, 2010 | 6:21pm

The Mouse King story was easily one of the funniest things ever posted on this site. Thank you, Glog, for the much-needed chuckle in the midst of what's been an awful day.

And now, back to all things Gasbag.

Gasbag Self Ordained Expert April 8th, 2010 | 6:25pm

Why has it been such an awful day? The sun was shining, the temperatures were nice, the birds were chirping, and the beer was cold where I stopped for lunch. :)

Pepper April 8th, 2010 | 10:43pm

Bill Thomas, I am so sorry for your loss. I hope that something is done to bring closure for your family and the other families. I hope that you know soon what happened to your sister and the others. I moved to VA 3 1/2 yrs ago and I had never heard about the Parkway Murders. I saw a show about the murders on ID last summer. I have researched and read quite abit about these cases. It sounds to me like LE really screwed up starting with the first case. Ralph Leon Jackson, who was arrested for the attempted murders this past Monday looks like the sketch of the Rt 29 stalker. I hope that police look into this guy thoroughly. I wonder what kind of car he drove in the past. Being a mechanic, he would have access to lots of different vehicles.

In the final days of his life in June 2002, while fleeing from authorities into Florida after abducting and raping a South Carolina teen, Evonitz told one of his sisters he had committed Ã¢â?¬Å?more crimes than he could remember,” police said.

Whether it was an idle boast remains to be seen.

Karma April 8th, 2010 | 3:34am

Bill, I hope this guy has the answers you and so many others have been looking for. May justice finally be served for you and the other families who have waited too long for answers.

And Gasbag Self Ordained Expert, don't feel sorry for this guy, he is going to get what he deserves.

just a thought April 8th, 2010 | 4:46am

Hate's a strong word.

Confused -- *amen*!

Exasperated April 8th, 2010 | 10:18am

deleted by moderator

Sick Society April 8th, 2010 | 10:18am

And the last one standing is the "winner". Getting armed is only a short term bandaid, not the ultimate solution. Even so, it's not really practical. Would you be fast enough on the draw to take out the shotgun nut before he got you? Opps, took a minute to enjoy the sunset and got blammed from behind. As for the cops, how can anyone expect a finite police force to protect them when too many nuts are on the loose?

Sick Society April 8th, 2010 | 7:30pm

Any day must be a good day when you haven't been assaulted, shot at or murdered. How fast can you draw? Gun, that is. I'm old and slow, guess I'm done fer.

Glog April 8th, 2010 | 5:48pm

Sneaking up on people sitting in a car: Not cowardly?

Glog April 8th, 2010 | 5:15pm

Why was the mouse king story deleted by moderator?

question April 8th, 2010 | 2:54pm

what's a "cop shoppe"?

Gasbag Self Ordained Expert April 8th, 2010 | 2:45pm

Kris, your idea has indeed been suggested. As a matter of fact, it's suggested every day by the Brady Bunch. If they had their way the only people carrying guns would be cops. And the cops would be required to check them into lockers at the cop shoppe at the end of their shift. Cops aren't going to give up their guns any faster than the average law abiding citizen is.

And Geeze (and other deleted posters), I just saw and spoke to a very high ranking law enforcement figure. This person laughed and said, "loving those blogs!". In copbonics he was calling me an agitator and instigator. I get no respect anywhere I go! :)

Chuck Bartowski April 8th, 2010 | 4:00pm

I always wonder why it's a "cop shoppe" and not a "cop shop." Why the effete, fake-Old-English spelling?

Gasbag Self Ordained Expert April 8th, 2010 | 4:04pm

You two finished playing now so we can get back on topic?

I just heard that Timothy Davis is wheelchair bound. Anybody know if this is true or not?

Gasbag Self Ordained Expert April 8th, 2010 | 12:16pm

Sick Society, just because the victim in this particular case was not 18 and could not possess or carry a firearm doesn't mean other people can't learn from this unfortunate event.

And for the record, I have no problem whatsoever with going back to the Matt Dillion days myself. I bet crime would go down 80% to 90% nationwide. Even Hitler was afraid of an armed society.

Sick Society April 8th, 2010 | 9:39am

What is it with VA? This is one very violent state. I lived in NC for 20 yrs and it's a little crazy but not this bad. It seems like shooting sprees and murder are business as usual in VA. Can't do anything, camping, enjoying the parkway, concerts, anything. They even shoot up the place at night, or break into your house and shoot you. People are dangerously nutty around here...

Glog April 8th, 2010 | 8:02am

deleted by moderator

colfer April 7th, 2010 | 8:42pm

Tim, then you better re-read what she said! ;)

MTT April 7th, 2010 | 6:18pm

I agree Robbie. I am sick of his comments and I'm not the only one that thinks this way.

Charles Bartowski April 7th, 2010 | 8:28pm

Gasbag: "50% of the people love him.

50% hate him. :)"

Someone's got a high opinion of himself. But I'll bite - survey anyone?

Hate him.

Tim Brown April 7th, 2010 | 8:25pm

Colfer, when it boils down to life and death, we are all just animals fighting to survive

local girl April 7th, 2010 | 8:48pm

yeah, don't want to, but i like him.

boooo! April 9th, 2010 | 7:44am

Christina Floyd is amazing, seriously. She was shot with a shotgun, broke her fingers while fighting back, was pushed over a cliff and then pelted with rocks, sustaining several skull fractures in the process, and yet she managed to hold herself together, muster the ability to climb back up and then run for help.....and is now still alive. Unbelievable and amazing. This has been going 'round my head ever since hearing about it. I admire her strength and courage.

Desdemona April 7th, 2010 | 6:23pm

Geezer?

colfer April 7th, 2010 | 6:39pm

Women have been notably fighting back, perhaps more than men, in some recent mass murders. Of course our society has gone insane to have all these mass murders, but one sidelight is the back-fighting by women. At Va. Tech it was a women trying to hold the door closed alongside that elderly professor. In the Hunstville, Alabama, case, it was a woman who "attempted to stop [the shooter], approaching [her] and asking her to stop, and then helped the other survivors push [her] from the room and block the door." (Wikipedia). The Ft. Hood case was more of a mixed story.

Anyway, this gal from Fluvanna fought back and writes this on her blog, presumably from the hospital: "thank you everyone, I feel very loved and supported... I got attacked by a crazyman, but im okay".

Geez April 8th, 2010 | 8:49am

deleted by moderator

Chuck Bartowski April 8th, 2010 | 9:24am

Love it. GSOE, the man who would be Mouse King.

Gasbag Self Ordained Expert April 8th, 2010 | 9:49am

Sick Society, it's not just Virginia. It's in every state. Until people arm themselves and fight back, it will never get any better.

The cop shoppes can no longer protect you for a variety of reasons. All they do is respond after the fact and clean up the mess. Occasionally they might find a suspect -WHEN- a good tip is called into them, like in this case. Often though, the suspects remain at large.

Gasbag Self Ordained Expert April 8th, 2010 | 9:52am

Come to think of it, the violent serial rapist of a dozen years in this area was caught only after a VICTIM called in an extraordinary tip.

12 years of violent attacks on the women folk, and a VICTIM herself solved the case.

Gasbag Self Ordained Expert April 8th, 2010 | 6:58am

Bill, who would be on this task force? The same cops who have for years not been able to solve the many murders in Central Virginia?

Raul Duke April 8th, 2010 | 1:11pm

There's a fair number of people out there that I am glad dont have guns. Someone didnt play enough cowboy when they were a child.

TinFoilHat April 11th, 2010 | 11:57pm

Adjusting my tinfoil hat. O.k. back... and the obligatory reactionary dumb as posts ban gun crowd can hang w/ the formers leaders. It's impossible to argue w/ nincompoops. Who can't see forests or trees. How about we just send this guy and his ilk to the Middle East with a note describing their crimes attached to their private parts. And GasBag is certainly long-winded and prolific to say the least, but he speaks the truth. I've been a victim of the local Good Ole Boys wearing uniforms.

Gasbag Self Ordained Expert April 8th, 2010 | 8:26am

quote: "I was too Ã¢â?¬Å?Honest” for them and they hated me."

By God, I know that feeling all so well! :)

Realist April 8th, 2010 | 10:44am

SS, a determined psychopath will always be able to get off the first (and maybe second and third) shot. A society armed for self defense can't stop that, but can, in circumstances different from this case, prevent a tragedy from becoming a massacre.

colfer April 8th, 2010 | 11:05am

By the way, France has an epidemic of telephone company office suicides. The workplace atmosphere is apparently like a combination of the U.S. Post Office and an unpredictable Enron. People are randomly displaced and linesmen are put in customer service cubicles with no training. I know, it's way off topic, but these bizarre violent "epidemics" in otherwise peaceful, prosperous societies are perplexing. Maybe not as peaceful & prosperous as we think, that's the easy answer, in a way, not that it's easily changed.

colfer April 8th, 2010 | 10:55am

Caesonia, I think the Ft. Hood responders were 1. random male on the scene, 2. female cop, 3. male cop. The #2 shot and missed, the #3 shot and hit. For what it's worth.

Let's hope getting this guy off the streets solves a few crimes. I don't know if Va. has more than others really. Kind of idle speculation whether it has something in common with other plagued states, like California in the 1970s.

On the other topic, if someone told you in 1980 there would be mass murders almost every month in the U.S. by the 2000's, and suicide bombers worldwide, you would have thought it was science fiction.

Albemarle native April 8th, 2010 | 11:38am

GSOE for what it's worth, I enjoy reading most of your posts.You don't attack other bloggers when they disagree w/you.

Gasbag Self Ordained Expert should run for city office. He knows exactly what needs to be done to correct every issue there is. Seriously, I don't love him or hate him but I do respect him. His comments can be looked at in a lot of different ways but FOR THE MOST PART he seems to use street smarts and common sense in what he says.

Gasbag Self Ordained Expert April 8th, 2010 | 11:48am

Sick Society, if a person gets the upper hand and shoots me right between the eyes, and I am dead before I hit the ground, more power to them. If I am still living, you can bet I am going to fire back real quick. But I have had more training than the average person.

When I advocate an armed society, I expect people wishing to carry firearms to seek out retention skills and shooting skills.

This young lady was able to tap dance on this suspect, more power to her, good work! She would have been his worst enemy if she had had a firearm on her person. Think about that. :)

Joe Cecil April 8th, 2010 | 1:32pm

Everytime I hear about another senseless assault with a gun whether in a school, church, shopping mall, workplace, I think about what strict gun control could do to lessen these senseless acts. Too many innocent people/children die because of our right to bear arms. It seems the Second amendment protects my rights to own multiple weapons including assault rifles but not my right to live in a safe society.

boooo! April 8th, 2010 | 1:40pm

Sick Society said:

"What is it with VA? This is one very violent state. I lived in NC for 20 yrs and it’s a little crazy but not this bad. It seems like shooting sprees and murder are business as usual in VA. Can’t do anything, camping, enjoying the parkway, concerts, anything. They even shoot up the place at night, or break into your house and shoot you. People are dangerously nutty around here”Š"
_____

Just my opinion but I think "triggered mind control pawns" is one theory to look at for what's going on in Virginia. Not for all cases, but with Virginia Tech and the Beltway snipers in particular I think you're looking at mind controlled targets who've been experimented on and then are set loose to fulfill their programmed "Manchurian Candidate" agenda. Even the Fort Hood shooter had ties to Virginia. The military/gov't black ops have too much money and too much time on their hands, and they loooooove to experiment on people.

(And before anybody gets on here and flippantly dismisses me with a snarky comment about conspiracy theorists, please do your homework. Before dismissing something out of hand *always* do your research.) Joe Average has no idea what's really going on in this world, and they unfortunately believe whatever version of events the media tells them. "Oh, he was a lone gunman nutter who snapped" says the Bubble Headed Bleach Blonde Who Comes on at 5. (Don Henley. ;) ) But it's amazing how when you research it many of these guys all seem to have ties to either Virginia Tech (Blacksburg....military base and experimentation...) or norther Virginia/D.C. Amazing coincidence. The Beltway Sniper guy was actually former military, that's where he was trained, and you can guarantee he received some additional "under the radar" training and programming from them as well. There is a pattern in most cases, if people were only willing to look and follow that rabbit down the hole as far it goes. So it's not all states, and it's not necessarily happening everywhere equally, as some here would have you believe. It's those areas in particular that are connected with the military industrial complex, and/or people who have connections to it. Research programmed sleeper agents, assasins, mind control, "Manchurian Candidates," MK Ultra, etc.

Kris Rikken April 8th, 2010 | 2:22pm

OK, literally every time I check in with the VA press from over here in Europe, someone's snapped again. Going out on a limb: maybe it's time to ban the guns, after all? Despite the huge repercussions and it will cause for people trying to keep the federal government at bay, of course. Just an idea - don't know if it's ever been suggested.

Anyhow, this sort of event will eventually make the international papers, and it's a tough image to shake.

just another thought April 8th, 2010 | 3:49pm

question -- it's GBSOE's sure-fire way to keep his monaker in the thread. *eye roll* I fell for that one, too!

just another thought April 8th, 2010 | 3:51pm

ooops. sorry -- Moniker.

just another thought April 8th, 2010 | 3:51pm

<gets irritated at self when self doesn't spell-check

Ronda Chollock April 8th, 2010 | 5:26pm

Wow---GSOE, you care about the topic of a thread? I hadn't noticed that.

Tim is not wheelchair bound. He occasionally uses one when his symptoms flare up.

Gasbag Self Ordained Expert April 10th, 2010 | 9:48am

I doubt seriously if Evonitz was making an idle boast. I suspect dozens of unsolved crimes and murders went to the grave with him.

Gasbag Self Ordained Expert April 12th, 2010 | 7:44am

quote: "And GasBag is certainly long-winded and prolific to say the least, but he speaks the truth."

It's funny how people just keep on saying this, over and over and over. Like the day poor little ole Gasbag had a small army of cops testifying against him, yet the judge turned to them and called them ALL liars to their face after Gasbag testified. :)

Judges do not become judges without being able to read people in many ways. They pretty much know when people are lying and when they are telling the truth. They can also read between the lines and see the how and why of cops abusing and misusing their badge and authority.

Gasbag Self Ordained Expert April 7th, 2010 | 3:46pm

Whoever it is, I feel sorry for him. And I only say this because the cop shoppes will try to pin the other unsolved killings up there on him.

On the other hand though, maybe he did indeed do the other murders. But it would be awful embarrasing for the cop shoppes since they already charged somebody with ther other murders.

Jut thinking out loud.....

Austro April 7th, 2010 | 3:51pm

GSOE- are you talking about the murders of the VT students and/or the Colonial Parkway murders? I wasn't aware that the "cop shoppes" charged somebody with those murders.

Gasbag,
You are too weird.
How about you shut up for a few months. Some of the general public would just like to read for pertinent information without your sickly commentary present. Yeah, I don't have to read it, but your constant presence in these forums is unseemly.
Maybe you need some air or exercise.

Chuck Bartowski April 7th, 2010 | 4:21pm

Anything to rip the "cop shoppes." Sometimes, even before they have a chance to do something wrong.

Very sad existence.

Gasbag Self Ordained Expert April 7th, 2010 | 4:36pm

Who's ripping the cop shoppes? Maybe this Jackson guy should have been a suspect in other assaults and murders on parkways -BEFORE- they arrested the other suspect (charges dropped)?

After seeing the official press release in person, it seems as if they have the right man. The cop shoppes should now start looking into whatever he has been involved in. And I am sure they will. He should become a suspect in the recent Morgan Harrington murder.

As I said above.... I was simply thinking out loud and waiting for the official press release of the who, why and how of the arrest.

Tim Brown April 7th, 2010 | 6:19pm

Tim Brown would like to take the time to congratulate the police on nabbing this geezer quickly and props to the person who called crimestoppers. Here's to a healthy recovery for the victims in this case. Tim Brown out.

"Hate" may be to harsh, but it's pretty disgusting to see any thread he feels like hijacking turn into a platform for flogging his tired story yet again. justbeinobjective, his opinion would be so much better expressed on his own blog, but then he wouldn't have a captive audience. I dare say he would have no audience at all. Why don't we test that and see how many want to read the same story again.

Bill Thomas April 8th, 2010 | 12:29am

My name is Bill Thomas. I am the brother of Cathleen Thomas, who was one of the first two victims in the Colonial Parkway Murders. First, a job well done to law enforcement for the swift arrest of suspect Ralph Leon Jackson, and a speedy recovery to the two victims.

To date, no one has been charged in the Colonial Parkway Murders, which claimed the lives of eight young people, 4 couples killed from 1986 to 1989. I hope that the arrest of Ralph Leon Jackson may lead to information about some of the many unsolved murders in Virginia including the Colonial Parkway Murders, the Route 29 Stalker case which led to the murder of Alicia Showalter Reynolds in 1996, the murder of the Williams and Winans women at the Shenadoah National Park in 1996, the killing of the Childs/Metzlet couple in August 2009, and the murder of Morgan Harrington in October 2009 among many others.

It is time for Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell to establish a task force with the Virginia State Police, the FBI and local law enforcement to investigate the many unsolved murders in Virginia.